So Close
by the-notsoevil-queeen
Summary: Wish Realm Robin is about to return home, and he says a goodbye to Regina.
1. Chapter 1

"Once the portal opens you'll only have a few minutes before it closes, so make it quick. If you mess this up, there's no going back."

"I know, I have seen a portal before, remember?"

Regina knows he's teasing her, if not by the twinkle in his eye then by the quirk of his lips, flashing those dimples at her, but he has no idea how the memory pinches at her heart.

God, how could she forget? That first moment she'd seen him, when her heart had lurched to a stop before jumping in her chest, pounding so loud it had blocked out any sound of the rushing river or the swirling portal. She had accepted that she'd never see him again, those eyes, that smile, nor would she feel his touch or hear his laugh, and yet, there he was in front of her, pointing an arrow at her racing heart.

That memory feels like a lifetime ago, the first spike of the emotional roller coaster that the last few weeks had been. She had accepted that she'd never see him again, but then he came back to her, and she had to accept that he was not _her_ Robin, he did not know her, he did not love her. Such like fate to kick her in the teeth again.

Still, she can't resist the smirk he gives her as they walk towards the center of the park, can't tame the butterflies that flare up in her belly when his gaze lingers just a little longer than necessary, and she grins back at him.

They'd been shamelessly flirting since he had returned to her, and she regretted it, knew that it would only cause her pain when he finally had to leave, but she couldn't resist him. Her heart ached for him, and she welcomed his wandering gaze, his fleeting touches, in hopes that the memories it brought back of their first moments in Storybrooke might dull the pain in her heart for just a moment.

But he was not her Robin, that much had always been clear. Her Robin knew her like the back of his hand, his eyes were less curious and more understanding, his touch was measured and sure, his words sincere and comforting. Her Robin looked at her with love in his eyes, and this Robin never could.

Emma leads them only a few steps father, stopping when the open stretch of grass is enough to hold the portal without creating any damage to the park that Regina would have to deal with come morning. The three of them stop walking, and Emma starts talking, saying something about how she'll use the bean to open the portal just in front of them for Robin to jump into. But Regina ignores her, because Robin is still looking at her.

His eyes travel her face, down along her jaw, pausing at her lips before jumping back up to meet her gaze. The rays of the sunset that shine through the trees catch in his eyes, making the blue dance with specs of gold, and when he smiles at her, that cute flirty smile where he bites his lip, Regina's heart jumps against her will, and something hardens in her stomach.

Saying goodbye is hard enough when he doesn't know who she is, doesn't have the memories that she does, but if he's going to flirt with her before leaving her forever, she might just kill him herself.

So she swallows thickly and turns to Emma, giving her the go ahead to open the portal. Her fingers start to tremble, and she pushes them against her stomach, trying to convince her insides to stop their shaking.

Emma lifts her arm in front of her, the magic bean they'd weaseled out of Rumple resting in her open palm, just as Robin steps towards Regina, reaching out to cup her elbow.

"Regina…" he says softly, barely there, and she furrows her brow at him. He seems to be wrestling with himself, eyes bouncing up and down her face, and just as Emma throws the bean in front of her, releasing a burst of magic, Robin launches forward, cupping her cheek with one hand while he kisses her.

Something sparks inside Regina, hot and sharp in her chest, and it shoots out of her into Robin, causing him to jump back several steps, releasing his hold on her.

Her hand flies to her lips, and she tries to apologize, to say something about the magic that shot out of her at him, but his eyes are glazed over, as if he's not seeing her. It lasts only a moment, and then he's shaking his head, blinking a few times as he sees her clearly.

"Regina?" He says, as if it's a question, and she can barely hear him over the whipping of the wind, so she shakes her head at him.

Robin's eyes blow wide, and he practically jumps in place, rushing towards her until his hands are firmly holding her arms, pulling her flush against him.

 _"I remember!"_ He yells in her ear when he wraps his arms around her shoulders. "I remember everything; us, Henry, Roland, New York, Camelot, my daughter. All of it."

"What?"

"It's me." He pulls back, places both hands on her cheeks, and his eyes shine with tears before he leans forward to leave a kiss on her forehead.

She shakes her head slowly, her hands gripping his wrists as he holds her face in his palms, and her brain moves slower than molasses.

"I love you," he says, looking directly into her eyes, and in an instant she believes him. She sees the love, the recognition, the _connection_ , shining through his blue irises. "More than anything in my life, I regret not telling you that before I jumped in front of you. I love you."

"Robin…" She lifts a hand to his cheek, stroking her thumb across the tears that slide down his cheek. He does the same to her, and she hadn't even realized she was crying. But her chin is wobbling, her voice unsteady, and she practically gasps for air.

"Your hair is shorter," He says almost absently as he runs his fingers through her short locks, and she can't help but laugh, a short choked thing as she beams at him.

"Guys!" Emma yells from in front of them, "The portal is gonna close soon! He has to go now!"

"I can't leave!" Robin says in response, turning his focus back to Regina. "I can't leave you, I just got you back."

His brow knits and his lips fall into a frown, his pain at the mere idea enough to break her heart all over again, and Regina's first instinct is to tell him to stay. She already lost him once, and now she has him back. Why should she lose him again?

But he was never _her_ Robin. She lost her Robin, he gave his _life_ for her, and she would always carry him with her. But this Robin, he doesn't belong here.

Regina pinches her eyes together, tears streaming down her cheeks into Robin's palms, and tightens her grip on his arms as she shakes her head.

"You have to go back to Roland." Robin's face falls, and he goes to shake his head, to tell her no, but she stops him. "This Roland already lost his father, don't make the other one lose you, too."

Robin hiccups through his tears, pulling her closer before he rests his forehead against hers. He presses his lips into the bridge of her nose and takes a shaky breath. "I can't leave you again."

"You never will," Regina assures him, "I love you. I've always loved you."

Emma yells from beside them again, and Regina takes one last time to press her lips to Robin's. _Her_ Robin. She's soft and slow, her tears mixing with his as their lips meet, before Robin pulls her closer, deepening the kiss for just a moment, tangling his fingers in her hair and drowning in the taste of her. It feels final, a goodbye kiss.

They pull apart, and Robin steps past Regina, leaving her facing away from the portal, tears blurring her view of the golden leaves shining in the evening sun.

"Hey, thief," she shouts over the wind, still looking away from him. She turns slowly, and sees him at the edge of the portal, hair blowing wildly in the wind as he grins at her, dimples on full display. She takes a steadying breath, wraps her arms around her chest, and yells, "Give that Queen a run for her money."

He laughs, and it's _his_ laugh, loud and warm and familiar, and he gives her a dramatic bow in response.

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it, milady."

He's still crying as he watches her, bright eyes and brighter smile, as he steps backwards, letting himself fall into the pool of swirling green magic. She's the last thing he sees as he disappears from this world, just as it had been, and as Regina falls to her knees, squeezing herself tighter, she comforts herself with the thought that, if this is how their story ends, at least they have another.


	2. Still So Far

_Thank you to the person who suggested this in the reviews of So Close. You inspired me at 1am._

* * *

He finds her on the edge of the Enchanted Forest, buried far below the surface. Booby-traps guard her, locking her inside her prison, but they're nothing for as skilled a thief as he. He moves swiftly, gently, careful not to make a sound. Still, somehow she hears him as he comes closer to her, either his footfall or his breath, and she makes a guttural sound, throaty and weak, her voice echoing off of the walls of the underground cave.

"Leave me."

Robin can't fight the smirk that pulls at his lips. She had always been so stubborn. "You're a very hard woman to find. I wouldn't assume Snow and David would keep you inside the kingdom."

She scoffs, a short thing that turns into a cough. "I wouldn't call this 'in the kingdom' exactly."

He steps farther into the prison, eyes glued to the bars made of stone that line the far wall. It's dark, the only source of light coming from one dimly burning torch, an eerie blue fire casting a glow across the black stone and dirt, and Robin has to squint. He can't see her, but he can hear her ragged breath, can feel her magic seeping into the earth beneath his feet, pulling him towards her.

"You're a fool to come here," she says, softer than before, less venom behind her words.

A fool indeed, he muses, stepping closer to her cell, close enough that he could reach through the enchanted bars if he so desired.

"I know you, Regina."

She snorts a laugh, more of a wheeze than anything. "You know nothing."

He smiles at that, shakes his head a little. "I do know you. I met you once. Not here, in a different world, an alternate universe. In that world, you cast your dark curse, you ripped everyone away from this land. There, you won."

He hears her move, shuffling just to his left, and, in the glow of the blue light, he finally sees her. She's laying in a far corner, pushed against the wall, but she lifts herself from the ground slowly, limbs weak and shaking, until she can stand, bracing one hand on the wall beside her. Her long hair is matted and covers her face, tangled tendrils of silver hair falling over her dark eyes. Her cheeks are hallow, lips dry and cracked, slender frame even thinner, skin clinging to bone. He could not guess her age, but, by the looks of it, she would be the living embodiment of death itself.

Still, her gaze is strong, and she pulls herself along the wall until she can grab the bars of her cell, where he sees the spark of that warm brown of her eyes, Regina's eyes. Her chin quivers as she looks at him, studying him with narrowed yet glassy eyes, before she speaks softly, just under her breath.

"I won?"

Robin bites his lip, holding his eyes on hers as he nods. He sees the hope spark in her eyes, the pride, the wonder, and for a moment he wishes to push the hair from her face, to look into those eyes properly. What must she be thinking as she imagines the victory that was ripped from her grasp? What pain and misery could this Regina inflict in order to get the revenge she so desperately desired?

"You did, but not with your curse."

She tilts her head, furrows her brow, that adorable way she always did when she thought hard about something, and slowly she shakes her head.

"It was not your revenge that had finally brought you happiness," Robin continues when she huffs, rolling her eyes, and turns away from him, "You cast your curse, and created a town in another world, called-"

"-Storybrooke," Regina cuts in, turning back to him. "Where I would finally get my… happy ending."

"And you did," Robin nods at her, smiling despite himself. "In Storybrooke you found forgiveness and love, you were given a second chance."

"A second chance," She repeats, almost absently, and rests her forehead on the bars that she holds in her boney grasp. She no longer meets his eye; instead she focuses on nothing, her eyes glazing over as she surely imagines what this other life would look like. "Forgiveness…"

"Yes, from everyone. You became a hero, saved everyone time and time again, found a family-"

"A family?" Regina asks, perking up. She seems to be finding her strength with each word he speaks, clinging to his story as if her life depends on it.

"A bigger family than you could ever know. You had a son, Henry, that you loved with all of your soul, and found forgiveness in Snow and David, became a part of their family with Emma."

The last part throws her, pulls her out of the pool of wonder she had fallen into. She snaps her eyes to him, purses her lips, before shaking her head and sinking to the ground, still clinging to the bars.

"I should have known you were full of crap. Snow could never forgive me."

"That's where you're wrong." Robin kneels in front of her and risks reaching for her hand, covering her fingers with his own, and her skin is like ice, thin and frail and freezing. She still looks at him, disbelief clear on her face as he tries to sort out his words. "You both hurt each other, but you overcame your past, and yes, Snow did forgive you."

Regina's eyes stay locked on his, but something softens in her, a layer of self defence slipping away as her eyes become glassy, shining in the dim light. "That doesn't feel possible."

"I saw it with my own eyes." Robin squeezes her fingers gently, and Regina's gaze drops to their linked hands.

"And who were you to me?" She asks softly, flexing her fingers beneath his without pushing him away, as if she's testing out the feeling of his skin against hers.

Robin pauses, chews on his lip absently before pulling his hands away from hers. He reaches for his sleeve, rolls it up to his elbow, and bares his forearm for her. The dark ink against his skin draws her eye immediately, and a small gasp escapes her lips. For a moment, he fears it's too much, too many dreams of a better life, a perfect life, that might overwhelm her. Her face is unreadable as she studies his arm, reaching out a hand to trace a finger along the neck of the lion tattoo. Her touch is feather light, barely a tickle, and still it sends a jolt through him as her magic finally connects with the pixie dust that had linked him to her all those years ago.

Regina stays silent for a moment, tracing her finger around his tattoo before whispering, "I have been trapped in this cell for thirty one years, no hope for freedom. Why are you here now?"

He notices the shimmering tear that slips down her nose, falling to the dirt beneath them, and he takes her hand in his, squeezing as tight as he could without hurting her, as she looks up at him.

Beneath the dirt that cakes her skin, beneath the time that sucked away at her in this cell, she still has those eyes, the ones he has looked into a thousand times, the ones that crinkle when she laughs, the ones that burn when she's angry, the ones that pull the love straight from his soul whenever he sees them. Beneath it all, she is still his Regina.

So he quirks his lips, a smug little smirk that flashes his dimples at her, and says quietly, "How would you like to take a chance on a new story?"


End file.
